


Gray Whirlpool Gaiden: Slow Roast

by PT_Piranha



Series: Gray Whirlpool [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Cooking, F/M, Friendship/Love, Humor, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 21:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10050299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PT_Piranha/pseuds/PT_Piranha
Summary: Anna proposes a cooking contest to King Xander. Little does Xander know just what he's in for...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SakiaLumei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakiaLumei/gifts).



> I gotta say, this came out quite a bit differently than I expected. But hey, whatever man. I'm not complaining.
> 
> Here's to you, Sakia. Don't say I never did you any favors, haha!

Times were changing in Nohr, especially now with Xander at the helm. The war was over and the gruff kingdom had a bright future. King Xander had fit into his fated role quite nicely, and things seemed to be going well. Until one day, roughly a year after everything, he received a strange request.

"You want me to… judge a cooking contest?"

"That's right!" said Anna.

Xander sat on his throne, leaning forward to confusedly stare at his visitor, the merchant Anna. She had been an ally to the Nohrian forces throughout the war, though she spent most of her time sweettalking the troops out of their already limited funds. Leo and Corrin once claimed the saleswoman was some type of demigoddess or something, but Xander did not believe them. This was in spite of the fact that he had witnessed his father's corpse distorted into a slimy monster. But one thing at a time.

Xander's eyebrow arched. "And pray tell, why are you suddenly interested in a cooking contest?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Xander internally cursed, knowing he was in for a long-winded sales pitch. "The Nohr you want is a more relaxed, mellow place. So the king has to act like it! He's got to be approachable, get his face out there, be with the people!" She pointed toward the throne room's entrance. "Say some rando walks in right now and asks you about your day. That wouldn't happen with your dad, even back when he was normal, now would it?"

"That's how you came in. And it's rather improper, I must say-"

"Shh, not now honey, the grown-ups are talking," Anna interrupted. "Anyway! The people need to know that their king's okay with doing silly little things like that! You're not gonna chop someone's head off just for looking at you funny, are you? Thought not! So you just need to sign here on this dotted line," Xander did not even see Anna produce the contract, "and we're good to go!"

The king flinched. "Wait, what?! Hold! Why are you interested in me judging a cooking contest in the first place?! You never answered!"

"Of course I did! I just told you!" she cried. "Stinkin' politicians…"

"Not so fast, Anna," Xander finally stood up. "I didn't ask why my people would be interested in this. I asked why _you_ would be interested in this. You in particular." He narrowed his already rather small eyes. "Is this another one of your moneymaking schemes?"

The merchant made an exaggerated gasp and put a hand on her chest. "Why, Your Majesty! I'm hurt! To insinuate that I care more about money than the fragile morale of this kingdom, after all they've- Yeah I can't finish that sentence." She shrugged. "I happened to round up the best cooks I know and thought I could make a little money on the side. I mean, why not? You'd get good press from it, wouldn't you?"

"Um… I suppose?"

"Riiight! We've even got a Hoshidan contestant, to show we're good sports!" Anna blinked. "Huh. That sounded less like affirmative action in my head…" Following that statement was an awkward silence. Xander kept staring in confusion, while Anna desperately wished for someone to save this conversation from where she had left off. After a solid minute, she realized she was on her own. "So are we good for this or what?"

He sighed. "I may as well. After all, I must show my citizens that I know how to relax, if that will put them more at ease."

"Yeah, a first time for everything!" Anna chirped, shoving the contract in his face.

"What was that?"

"I said, sign right here please!"

* * *

Within the span of a few weeks, Anna had set up the festivities right in Windmire's main thoroughfare. Balloons and flags were all over the place. Bustling crowds clogged the streets, save for the centermost point in the plaza. Three tables had been set up. Two on opposite sides carried several ingredients and supplies, while the central table hosted three people. Xander was one member of that trio.

Anna made her way to the centermost point of the clearing. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we have Windmire's first annual-"

"Annual?" Xander repeated.

"Read the fine print next time, sweetie. Anyway!" Anna turned back to the crowds. "Windmire's first annual Celebrity Chefmatch! Presenting our judges! First, King Xander!"

Everyone cheered, and a small smile formed on the man's face. He politely nodded toward his crowd, and Anna went on to name the other judges.

"And our second judge… Flora?"

The Ice Tribalist, dressed in a thick fur coat, smiled. She sat to Xander's right. "Good afternoon. Jakob didn't want to be a judge, so I'm filling in."

"Okay." Anna shrugged. "And our third judge… uh… Graham? Gary… uh…"

To the left of Xander sat a gray-skinned man with a red collar worn over his white, form-fitting clothes and with hair to match. He scoffed. "I do so loathe to have my name mangled. I'll have you know I prefer to be indulged with my full name and title, and that would be Demon Lord Gh-"

"Yeah whatever, honey. So let's get cooking!" Anna cheered, to the third judge's dismay. The crowd went wild. "At the black table, we have the Sour Sire, the chef with fifteen Master Seals under his belt, owner of the Demon's Kitchen-"

"Beg your pardon?" the demon judge asked.

Anna introduced, "Chef! Gustaf! Ramsaaaaaaaaay!"

Behind the black table was an older Nohrian gentleman with blonde hair. He looked rather impatient.

"And at the red table, straight outta Hoshido, the Princess of Potatoes: Chef! Mozume! …uh… She never gave me her last name! So it's just Mozume! Yaaaaaay!"

The crowd cheered again, this time for the other chef: a freckled Hoshidan in merchant clothes, with brown hair decorated by flowers. She nodded.

Anna looked back and forth between the contestants. "Lady and gentleman! Do you have your sous chefs?" Gustaf and Mozume nodded. Beside Gustaf stood the Wolfssegner with a skunk stripe of hair, Keaton. Mozume's sous was actually Prince Leo.

"Why is my brother a part of this contest?" Xander asked.

The demon rolled his pitch black eyes. "Such a trifling question. Allow him to participate if he wishes."

Xander did not stop. "And why is there a literal demon sitting beside me?!"

"On your mark… get set… cook!"

* * *

**Cast Interviews:**

Gustaf: "They've told me that 'Gustaf Ramsay' is an anagram. It's an anagram for, 'Afar stags. Yum.' I believe it came to my parents when they saw deer in the distance and got hungry. I knew this meant I would be a chef in my adulthood."

Mozume: "Well after the war destroyed my hometown, I ended up as a chef in Izumo. Then that Archduke Izana signed me up for this contest and I figured 'why not', right? Folks need food."

Keaton: "Actually I was just hoping I'd get some of the food."

Leo: "I figure if I helped the Hoshidan chef, it'd show the Hoshidan audience my softer side. Uh… for… no _particular_ reason or… or anything… Leave me alone."

* * *

Over at Mozume's table, the chef began stirring a pot. "Prince Leo, how're them potatoes treatin' ya?"

Leo strained himself, accidentally stabbing his fourth potato in a row. "Mozume, I do not-"

"Just call me Mozu. Everyone else does apparently."

"I don't get it! I can't peel this at all!" Leo complained. "Gods, why do we still have potato peelers, I thought we had spells for this!"

Mozu rolled her eyes and shoved Leo away. "Oh you big whiner, you want me to hold your hand too?!" She began swiftly peeling the potato.

...

"KEATON!"

"What now?!" the distressed Wolfssegner had finished chopping meat and putting it onto a plate.

"That bear is raw! Would you like to eat raw bear?!" Gustaf shouted.

"Uh, maybe? I don't know! I never thought about it!"

"You donkey!"

Keaton's eyes narrowed. "Hey! I'm a Wolfskin, not a donkey! Or… donkeyskin? Huh, I wonder where we got our name," he digressed.

"Ugh, throw it away. Start over!"

"Fine, fine. You humans are so picky with your food…"

…

"Prince Leo, what's that?" Mozu asked. She had spared a glance and found her sous chef slicing a tomato. Unevenly.

"Well we're making a fruit salad," Leo calmly started, "so I'm adding my favorite fruit."

The Hoshidan groaned. "It might be fruit, but ya don't put it in a fruit salad! That's not a wise thing to do!"

"Are you insulting my intelligence?"

Mozu angrily grabbed the tomato and threw it away. It randomly hit an audience member. "Ow! Why wasn't I born more dexterous?!"

…

Gustaf held a bowl of sloppily-prepared ingredients right in Keaton's face. "What is this?! What is it?! It's a mess, that's what it is!"

"I call it the Garou Deluxe," the Wolfssegner explained.

"We're not making _your_ dish!"

Keaton scoffed. "Well not with that attitude!"

"Aaaaand TIME!" Anna's voice echoed.

* * *

**The Dishes:**

Team Hoshido – Mozu & Leo – Fruit Salad, Beef Stew  
Team Nohr – Gustaf & Keaton – Tangy Nestran Carrot, Roasted Bear

**Cast Interviews:**

Gustaf: "A mess. An absolute mess. I've worked with _children_ more competent than him. I want to give him one of my jackets, just so I can tell him to give it back and get out of my kitchen."

Mozu: "These pampered city folk sure don't know how t' cook like we did back home."

Keaton: "I think it went pretty well, all things considered."

Leo: "Okay so I haven't been giving our chefs enough credit. Fair is fair. Hmm… I suppose if I learned how to cook… I wonder if _she'd_ be impressed by that…"

* * *

**Judges React: Gustaf's Dish**

Flora nervously stared at the dishes before her. "Well… I actually thought this was Felicia's cooking at first. And…" She shrugged. "I could stomach it. But that's because I'm used to that. This isn't very good at all."

The demon judge sneered before gesticulating dramatically. "You have the nerve to present this atrocity? That makes me feel furious! Outraged! _Sick with anger!_ "

Xander sighed. "My training has prepared me to maintain composure. Otherwise… I don't know how I could stand to eat this."

…

**Judges React: Mozu's Dish**

"Hmm… Not bad," Flora conceded. "Nothing stands out, but… it's not the other dish."

"Hmph." The demon callously waved his arm. "Do you expect me to praise your meager offering? I was promised a feast fit for a Demon Lord. And I am less than impressed."

Xander looked up from his food, a potato from the stew sticking out of his mouth. His eyes dilated, and Flora frowned. "Your Highness? Are you okay?" Xander said nothing. "Hello?" She waved her hand in front of his face. "King Xander?"

He swallowed the potato. "I… I…"

"Oh forget it, we all know Chef Mozume had the better dish. Judges, wouldn't you agree?" Anna inquired. Xander was left in his trance, while the demon judge folded his arms in silence. Only Flora responded.

"I think so."

Anna smirked. "So there we have it! Chef Mozume wins!"

* * *

Before long, the whole affair had ended. The crowds had left, and the chefs were packing their things. The demon man had long gone, and though Flora was ready to leave, she was still worried about her king.

"Milord? Hello? Are you in there?"

"Huh, what?" Xander looked over. "Oh. Flora. You're still here."

"Yes. King Xander, you've been sitting in shock for the last quarter of an hour."

"Have I? Huh." He looked down at his bowl. It had been thoroughly cleaned, one could not even tell there had been soup. "I just… really liked that stew. I feel like I should complement the chef." Flora merely shrugged, and Xander stood up. "In fact, I shall."

He walked right over to the table where Mozu and Leo had worked. His brother had already disappeared, while Mozu began packing her bags. The Hoshidan looked up and winced. "Aaah! Yer face is scary!"

The king blinked. "…Oh. I'm… sorry?"

"Uhh, I meant… C-can I… help you or somethin'?" she asked.

Suddenly he remembered himself and cleared his throat. "Oh. Yes. Your food was delicious. Seriously, I hadn't had anything like that before!"

Mozu nodded. "That's because it was a Hoshidan recipe. Er, at least as close as I could get with these ingredients…" His harsh face was still focused on her, which Mozu found discomforting. "Um… okay then."

"Wait! I had an idea!" Xander stroked his chin. "Yes… What if you became Head Chef at the castle?"

Her eyes went wide. "H-huh?! Me?! Uh, why?"

"Well…" He winced. "None of the cooks in Castle Krakenburg are that skilled, to be honest. They all slacked off and let Peri do all the work." Xander sighed wistfully. "And so when she left to work for Guy Fujito, that left a void in our kitchen."

"I don't know who either of those people are," Mozu answered. "Besides, I kinda already work for Archduke Izana. Also didn't your country ransack mine? Including my village?" She gave him a harsh stare upon mentioning her hometown.

The king winced. "Uh… technically, yes… But it's complicated, there were-"

"Aw shucks, I never even cared about politics," interrupted the chef. "All right fine, I'll come work for your kitchen. Izana didn't even notice I left him anyhow."

* * *

Thus Mozu was made a part of Castle Krakenburg's staff. While she was not quite at Peri's level, she was still leagues above the others in the kitchen. Of course, her lower skill level meant that she would have to rely on the other cooks more often. This led to quite an encounter on Kaze's part.

"Chef Mozu, King Xander asked me to check if you're adjusting- Oh." Before the Ninja Master was the sight of the small, freckled Merchant ordering all the cooks around, much like she had done before with Prince Leo.

"For cryin' out loud! What kinda cooks are you?! They've invented plumbing, you can wash yer hands like decent folk!"

Kaze slowly backed away, muttering to himself, " _I'll just leave her to it…"_

* * *

Xander walked into the kitchen one night and found Mozu cooking some bear meat all by herself. "Uh, good evening Chef Mozu."

"Huh? Oh hi," Mozu returned the greeting while focusing on her dish.

"Are you all right? Where is everyone else?"

"I sent them to their quarters to think about what they'd done. They don't know how to cook, King Xander!"

He could only blink to that.

"I… I see. So I take it you're comfortable in your new position as Head Chef."

"Darn tootin'!" She actually started to smile. "Most of the fellas are pretty nice. From the staff here, to even your three sisters."

"Good to hear," Xander smiled back. "You're one of us now, so don't tolerate any insults. You're Head Chef for a reason."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Mozu went back to work, but Xander stood there still. She did not notice at first, until she checked her peripheral vision and found that the king was still there. "Uh, yeah?"

"Um… while I was here, I was wondering if I could have more of whatever you made during that contest."

"Oh. I guess so." Mozu shrugged. "Can I finish makin' this first?"

"Yes, yes, no pressure. Behave as you normally would. I don't intend to make this a regular activity or anything like that."

* * *

One afternoon, Elise went down the corridor and caught sign of Kaze waiting near the kitchen. "Hi Kaze! Why are you just standing there?"

"His Majesty's in the kitchen right now, talking to the Head Chef."

"Again?" Elise asked.

Kaze sighed. "The sixth time this month…"

* * *

Xander sat in a chair in the kitchen's corner, chuckling to himself while Mozu sat in another, peeling a potato. "An' Niles actually did the dance with me!"

"Hahahaha! _Our_ Niles?"

"It was quite a sight, King Xander! Heheheh!" She blinked in an attempt to get the tears out of her eyes, hands occupied with potato peeling. "That was even better than that time watchin' Effie squash all those fruits with her bare hands!"

"Oh yeah. Elise told me about that."

Mozu flashed him a warm grin. "But I hope that answers yer question, King Xander. I'm gettin' along fine with everyone."

"Good, good…" Xander gasped.

"What?"

"N-nothing… I just remember my father would always say that phrase…" He shuddered.

Still peeling her potato, Mozu wore a curious expression. "That's still a weird story, ya know. Some weird possession takin' hold of King Garon like that. But I think yer doing an all right job, Xander."

"Thanks. You know, I don't remember the last time I've had a conversation like this with anyone." He blinked. "Wait, did you just call me by my name?"

Mozu's peeling stopped dead. "Um… I guess I did. Uh, that's not a horrible problem, is it?"

Xander shook his head. "No, not really. I'm one for propriety, but I consider you my friend. You may call me 'Xander' when we're alone."

"Hmhmhm! Lookit me! Friends with the king!" Mozu went back to peeling, grinning ear to ear. "Anytime, friend."

* * *

Xander approached his stepsister in her own bedroom. "Corrin, may we speak?"

"Aaah! Xander!" Corrin flinched and dropped the book she was reading at her desk. She stood up and turned around. "Hi Xander. What do you need?"

"When is your next goodwill trip to Hoshido?"

The albino princess looked away. "Uhh… I think it's in two months from now? That's the one where we were going to help with that one forest that General Daniela razed. Why?"

Xander shut his eyes in concentration. "Yes… Murasaki Forest. I believe that's close to where Mozu's village used to be."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah. The weird thing is, it's not even purple- wait what's that about Mozu?"

"Her village. If what she's told me is correct, her village was near Murasaki Forest. Already destroyed by Faceless long ago, but Daniela set the forest ablaze during the later stages of our campaign."

"Aaah! That's horrible! There was no reason for her to do that!"

"Well she _was_ court-martialed after the war," Xander reminded his sister. "Honestly, she was pretty much a female clone of Iago."

Nervously, Corrin tried to steer the direction back to its plotted course. "So why are you interested in all that?"

"Ah, yes. You see, Mozu expressed an interest in visiting her town again. For closure. And I figured we could incorporate a stop during our next trip."

"We? Our?" Corrin asked. "Are you planning to come on this next trip? Won't you have kingly things to do?"

"It would be a show of good faith if the King of Nohr embarked on at least one of these journeys, I should think." Xander smirked. "Besides, Leo can sit this one out. He and Camilla will be fine running the castle without me for that month."

Finally, Xander's sister shrugged. "Well okay then. It'd be nice to travel with you for a change!" She slyly smirked. "And I bet you think it'll be nice to travel with Mozu."

"What was that?"

Corrin giggled and sat back down to continue her reading. "Xander, you're really going a long way for your friend." She frowned a bit. "Okay, also Camilla had to spell it out for me. But still."

The king froze entirely.

"I… hadn't considered it that way." He scrunched his face. "Wait, Camilla knew?!"

* * *

"Of course I knew," Camilla answered. Xander had entered her villa to find her sewing, and seemingly anticipating this visit. "You, Corrin, Leo, Elise… all four of you are pretty blatant whenever you have a crush."

Xander sighed. "All right. I suppose I have nothing to gain by denying the possibility."

"Because it's true!" she chirped.

"…Very well. So what do I do next?"

Camilla shrugged. "What do you _want_ to do? Who's going to say 'no' to their king?"

"Several nobles wouldn't approve of this. And the fact that she's Hoshidan could-"

The sister sighed and set her sewing implements down in order to invest fully in this conversation. "Xander, listen to me: You. Are. The king. And not only does Mozume make you happy, but she's everyone's favorite around the castle. Even those lazy cooks came around on her."

"Yes, but you remember Queen Arete. Father loved her, but no one else did. And to think of the effect it had on Azura…"

"I just said that everyone else in the castle likes Mozume too! What more do I have to tell you, Xander?" She shook her head. "It's like you're trying to think of any reason not to just admit you love your best friend!"

Xander sighed. "You're right. I just hope this won't ruin the relationship we already have."

Camilla felt satiated and went back to her sewing. "You should at least try."

* * *

"Mmm. This stew is as delicious as usual," Xander praised. He and Mozu were having yet another kitchen rendezvous. The chef smiled.

"Glad t' hear it! You know, I was wrong about you. You're really not so scary-lookin' after all," she told him. "Especially now that I know you're such a picky eater that you only eat my food!" Her smile turned more cocky. "I bet I know your tastes to the last detail now! I could probably make all your favorite foods perfectly!"

Xander gave her a playful smile. "Is that so?"

She quickly looked away, blushing. "Uh… yeah… maybe. I could… I could give it a try… if you wanted."

"…I'd like that."

"O-oh, that reminds me of something!" She spoke quickly, but her face remained red. "I… I've been wanting to know more about them statues in the gardens… W-would you see them with me? I-if you don't mind!"

The king shrugged. "Not at all. But why?"

"Uh… uh…" Mozu's eyes darted around. Finally, she noticed a note she had written, translated from Nohrian to Hoshidan. "I can't read Nohrian very well! Yeah that's it…"

"Oh. Very well. Does tomorrow afternoon work?"

* * *

The next day, Kaze walked beside his new king down Castle Krakenburg's grand staircase, observing a hopeful glint in Xander's eye. "You don't usually go to the gardens. What's the occasion?"

"Oh I'm meeting Mozu. She wanted to know more about the statues in the garden, but the plaques are written in Nohrian," the king explained simply.

Kaze nodded in acknowledgement. "I see. You know, speaking of Mozu, I had a question." He stopped in place, though Xander kept walking. "I heard from Lady Corrin that you and Mozu will be accompanying her on her next trip to Hoshido. Is this regarding her old village?"

Xander began to sweat a little. Kaze narrowed his eyes.

"And why is it that you must travel with her? You know Lord Leo looks forward to these trips."

Xander's sweat intensified.

"It's almost as though it were all simply a pretense to spend time with Mozu."

Xander's entire head and shoulder region had a layer of sweat, with a leak spraying from the back of his cranium.

"…You have feelings for Chef Mozu, don't you?" Kaze plainly asked.

"Am… am I that transparent?"

The Hoshidan man nodded. "I'm afraid so. Some of the other servants had a betting pool."

King Xander's face briefly flashed a sign of disapproval, before returning to the subject. "Well I suppose it'd only harm things if I kept this quiet. I should be honest with Mozu then." He nodded. "I'll court her in the traditional Nohrian way- we have three conversations and then get engaged."

"You've had sixty conversations, milord."

"D-did we?" Xander asked. He began to count on his fingers. "…Oh, you didn't include that time I took her to that spooky festival."

Kaze rolled his eyes. "Okay fine, sixty-one conversations. One of them was a _date_ , no less! Just admit it to her and maybe she'll feel the same. I hear a lot of things, as a ninja. I could also hear your conversations. Mozu's friendly, but she hasn't spoken to anyone the same way she has with you."

"And that's not just because I'm the king?" Xander asked. Kaze bluntly stared. "Yeah you're right, she's too honest for that."

"Just… do your best."

* * *

Xander finally found Mozu sitting on a bench in the garden. It was possibly the greenest area in all of Windmire. Hedges with black roses abounded, and there were numerous statues of Nohrian warriors of old. Mozu squinted at a nearby statue before finally noticing her company. "Oh there you are, Xander."

"Good afternoon. Mozu, I have a question for you."

She arched her eyebrow. "What's that?"

"…Um…" He quickly wracked his brain. _Quick, Xander. Remember how Camilla and Niles began to date! No, no, that was very strange, I'm still not sure how they're together. Um… How did Corrin and Flora- No, Corrin was too awkward. Leo and- Oh yeah Leo's still single. How did Elise- Gods, Elise isn't already dating, is she? She's only 18! Kids these days, dating younger and younger-_

"Xander?"

"Oh!" Xander snapped out of it. "Sorry, I appear to have no frame of reference for what I wanted to ask."

Mozu then turned her head toward her feet, watching them swing back and forth. "Well that's all right, because… I have a confession to make."

 _She does? Oh no… Is she only an impostor pretending to be the real Chef Mozu? She'd better not be the Nestran Princess in disguise, I told them we just don't click like that! I can't take this suspense…_ "What is it, Mozu?"

"Well, um… I've actually known how to read Nohrian for years. Before we even met. I… I can read the statues' writings just fine," she sheepishly admitted.

 _Oh okay, this isn't going where I thought it was, phew._ "Is that so?" He went over to the bench and finally sat beside Mozu. "So why did you ask me to help you?"

"W-we're friends, aren't we?" Mozu asked, turning to face Xander again. For the first time, he noticed her face was red.

 _Ohhh._ "So you wanted to spend time with me. Understandable, given our friendship. I do enjoy your company. But the blush on your face…"

Mozu began to sweat profusely.

"There's something else you wish to say to me, isn't there?"

Mozu sweated harder. A small leak sprayed out of one of the flowers in her hair.

"Do you… have feelings for me?" Xander hazarded. Silence. Complete and utter silence filled the air, and the two friends dared not break it. They maintained eye contact, even in the face of the incredibly tense atmosphere surrounding them. Realizing this was going nowhere, Xander spoke again. "Um, did you not hear me? I'll enunciate-"

"O-oh I heard you, X-Xander… it's just…" Mozu rubbed her neck. "Even if I did, it wouldn't… wouldn't really work, right? 'Cause of the fact that you're the king, and… well…"

"I suppose I'll have to pull rank, then. Ahem…" Xander stood up and offered his hand. "Mozu, as the King of Nohr, I grant you the freedom to pursue the person your heart wishes, no matter the difference in station or anything like that. If anyone objects, they can take it up with me. I'll have Kaze put it in writing later." He frowned less intensely. "What do you say?"

Once again, the garden fell silent. Mozu blinked a few times, before she finally cracked a grin and broke her silence.

"Hahahaha! Th-that's so like you!" She wiped a tear from her eye before taking Xander's hand and standing up. Without any warning, she put her arms around him. "And that's why I love you."

Xander was petrified. Not once did he ever consider anyone saying those words to him, least of all the woman he had come to admire so. Without even thinking, he returned her gesture.

"Th-thank you… I… I love you too." He smiled. "It feels good to say that."

Mozu giggled. "I know, right?"

And so the King of Nohr and the Hoshidan country mouse found their special ones on that day. All in Castle Krakenburg celebrated, even the Demon Lord.

"Pardon?" He rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, King Xander's love life simply _fills_ my heart with rainbows. Bleh. These humans never change…"

**Author's Note:**

> Ah... Okay so here we are. I just wrote this for a friend.
> 
> But to be frank, I'm pretty pleased with the result. A lot of it was rather improvised (before going back to tie things together better). And uh there you go. A story that takes place after Conquest Gray Whirlpool, involving Xander and Mozu going from friends to lovers. This couldn't happen in Birthright not only because of what goes on with Xander, but also the fact that Silas and Mozu got together instead.
> 
> Gustaf Ramsay is Nohrian Gordon Ramsay. Much like how Guy Fujito is Hoshidan Guy Fieri. And why is Ghirahim in this fic? ...I really don't know, man. But he was fun to write. I almost put in Waldorf and Statler because the cook-off was inspired by the Muppet skit with Gordon Ramsay, but I prefer what I have now.
> 
> If there are any regrets, I think maybe I could have explored Mozu's side of the story a bit more. This was meant to be more from Xander's perspective, but I did try to establish that Mozu's interested in him too. Romance is still new to me as a genre.
> 
> Mozu and Xander... one of the main ships in SakiaLumei's fic, the Princess and the Pauper. I made a slight nod to it too. She's managed to get most of our writer friends on board that ship. Me? ...I guess you could say I'm supportive. Mozu's pretty good with a lot of gentlemen, honestly. But Xander is one of them.
> 
> This fic wasn't JUST for SakiaLumei though. I hope you non-Sakias enjoyed it too, haha.


End file.
